Being Thankful for Technological Advances in Voice Over

Remember when we were limited by the physical nature of recording? Film, tape, vinyl? Yeah, me neither. Many of those forms of technology didn’t die out all that long ago (after all, the first voice overs are still less than 100 years old) and yet, we quickly repressed those memories in favor of the newest, most convenient technology.

From Logic to ProTools to the stuff we carry around in our pockets, advances in technology have increased our ability to create great products, to do so cost-effectively, and to cast the projects efficiently.

Think about it. Not that long ago, access to recording studios and recording equipment was difficult. Not everyone even had a voice demo. Many casting sessions were conducted in person. But now, voice over actors can record demos on their ipads, computers and phones. They email files into productions. It sounds so basic now. We take most of the amazing technological advances in sound production, and thus, voice over production, for granted.

These technologies forced us to get better at certain aspects of our jobs, while removing some of the unnecessary burdens. We’re no longer as limited in what we can record and for how long, such as the Mind the Gap technicians were. It’s easier to match animation lip flap with slight adjustments to position of sound files.

Let’s not forget either, the role that computer based technology and social media have played in the voice over community. We spread the word about castings via twitter, we talk about our projects to friends on facebook, we upload our demos, look for learning resources and sometimes look to cast projects via websites like VoiceBank and VoiceRegistry. And a show, like Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse, broadcast exclusively on the internet can reach an audience of 100 million— a reach which no television network could provide. At every level, these platforms have helped us to become the multi-billion dollar industry we are.

It’s a long way from whispering into tubes and cutting tape, right? Wonder what they’ll come up with next.

Thanks to the web and especially SourceConnect, I have had live sessions with people from Hollywood to Dublin from my cozy home studio in Virginia. I agree, quite a different world from the days of cart machines and tape splicing. I love my job!